Harness-support.



Y y PATBNTED JUNBlQ, 1906. 0. M. CARL-MON.

HARNESS SUPPORT.

AlPLIOATlON FILED JUNE 13,1905.

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Ni-TED STATES PATET onirica.

OSCAR4 M. CARLETON,v OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT ROBART, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HARNESS-SUPPORT.'

i SpecificationY of Letters Patent. Application filed June 13,1905. Serial No. 265,008.

Patented June 19, 1906.

struction of an improved device by means of which a harness is supported substantially in position over a horse, but which will permit of the harness being forced downward a few inches farther to allow it to be fastened in place and after being detached from the harness will immediately rise upA out of the way in order to avoid the vehicle following the horse. It is hence particularly adapted for fire-engine houses, physicians, patrol-wagon horses, &c.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this speciiication, Figure 1 is aperspective view of a harness-support embodying my 'improvements. Fig. 2 is a detail view, full size, of the clutch device thereof. Fig. 3 is a side sectional elevation of the winding-drum and its supporting-frame. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same, partly in section, but showingl certain arms out of their normal positions.

In the drawings, the reference-numerall designates the harnesssup orting and detaching arrangement suspen ed by means of a rope 2() from the operating mechanism contained in the frame 70, designed to be fixed to the ceiling or roof of the room. l Said arrangement comprises a T-shaped frame 2 3, having the hooks 4 and 5 at its extremities', which hooks are adapted toswing downward and release the harness supported thereby at the will of the driver; but as the same does not constitute the subject-matter of this ap lication it is not more specifically described erein. The part to which this application is restricted is the operating mechanism abovereferred to and illustrated more completely in Figs. 2 to 4. This consists of the following:

Within the framework 70 and supported by means of the arms 71 and elbows 72, screwed to the ceiling of the stable, is the drum 30, having wound thereon more or less of the rope 20. The iiange 33 of this drum is framedwith spur-teeth andmesheswith the pinion 45, whose shaft 44 carries the fan 46. The motion of said drum in one direction being thus imparted to said fan is thereby retarded for the purpose of preventing a too rapid rewinding of said drum by its spring 38. To permit drum to be turned as rapidly as desired in pulling down the rope 20, the shaft 44 of said pinion is loose within the latter and provided with a clutch connection comprising the collar 42,xed to the shaft, cam-surfaced drum 40, rigid with the pinion, and

balls 43.A These last by their wedging ac tion upon the Vcamsurfaces 41- give the clutch action desired. The spring 38 is made suiiiciently strong to raise the supporterframe 1, but not both that and the harness. Hence with said spring alone the framerand harness would unwind the drum 30 to the limit of the rope 20; To permit of the harness remaining suspended at a definite height, while at the same time capable of being forced a short distance lower, the drum 30 is mounted on a shaft 31 by an arrangement which causes the drum to move longitudinally along the same during its rotation' thereon. To d'0 this, said shaft is providedv with a collar 51, free to turn thereon, but not to move longitudinally,while the drum side 33 is formed witha hub or boss 34, said'boss and collar being correspondingly threaded, so that when` the drum is revolved it is moved toward the arm 50, whence the rotation of the drum causes it to move toward the arm 50, which rigidly projects from saidV collar. When the lug 36 on said drum reaches said arm,then the drum must either stopor force said arm to rotate with it. v

, A short distance above the shaft 31 and near said: arm 50 is another arm 60, fixed on its shaft 61 and provided with a roll 62, entering the path of the arm 50. Said shaft 61 is connected with a spring 65 of a resisting power capable of supporting the weight of the frame and harness together when its said roll 62 is located at the end 52 of said arm 50 and is hence given its greatest leverage with respect to the radius of the drum 30. The harness and frame being forced downward in order to secure the harness in place upon a horse standing beneath, the resistance of the spring 65 is overcome, and' both arms 50 and move together for nearly a semirotation. During this journey the roll 62 steadily approaches the hub or collar 51 of the arm 50, and thereby rapidly increases the leverage. of the arm 50 with respect to the arm 60 and vIOO correspondingly reduces the pull necessary to hold the harness down upon the horse. Accordingly When the harness has been drawn down into actual contact with the horse almost no effort is required to hold the same While the fastenings are secured. The latch 32 is provided for the purpose of locking the shaft 31 after its spring has been wound to the proper tension.

To normally retain the arm 60 in the position shown in Fig. 3, it is formed with an elbow 63, constructed to abut against a fixed stop 67, preferably given a spring-buffer 66, the latter serving to take the shock of said arms return to position after the harness has been released from the frame l, and the drum 30 winds up the ro e 2O until said frame reaches the altitude desired. This is preferably limited by means of a knot or other stop 6 on the rope 20 and its contact with the guide-hole in the frame member 7 5. t

It should be noted that the end 52 of the arm is a hook adapted to embrace the roll 62 when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, This hook is necessary in order to hold the arm 50 in place when there is no strain upon the drum. In Fig. 4 the two arms 50 and 6() are not shown in their normal positions, but are represented swung backward sufliciently to more perfectly illustrate the relationship of the two arms and the roll 62, the stop 67 being removed to permit this.

What I claim as my invention, and for which I desire Letters Patent, is as follows, to wit:

l. The combination with a winding-drum and its shaft, of a spring operating said drum, an arm connected with said shaft, a second arm eccentric with the first, a spring resisting the latters rotation, a movable connection between the end of the second-named arm and the edge of the other arm, means whereby the rotation of said drum about its shaft moves said drum and first-named arm toward each other, and means for the engagement of this arm by said drum when thus brought near together.

2. The combination with a winding-drum and a shaft upon which it is loosely mounted, of a spring operating said drum, an arm connected with said shaft, a second arm eccentric with the first, a spring resisting the latters rotation, a roll projecting from the second-named arm into engagement with the edge of the other, a projection from said drum toward the first-named arm but normally out of reach thereof, and means whereby the rotation of said drum upon. its shaft moves the drum toward the first-named arm until said projection engages the latter.

3. The combination of a winding-drum, a shaft upon which the same is loosely mounted, a spring connected with said'shaft and drum and operating the latter, an arm connected with said shaft, a second arm eccen tric with the first and a spring resisting its rotation, a movable connection between the end of the second-named arm and the edge of the other, and a fixed stop in one direction for the second-named arm; said drum and firstnamed arm being constructed for mutual engagement after a limited number of rotations of the drinn.

4. rThe combination of a winding-drum, a shaft upon which the same is loosely mounted, a collar on said shaft said drum and collar being correspondingly threaded to provide longitudinal motion of the drum along the shaft, a spring attached to said shaft and drum, an arm projecting from said collar, a projection from said drinn normally out of reach of said arm but brought into engagement therewith by said longitudinal motion of the drum along the shaft, a second arm eccentric with the first, a spring wound by the last-named arm, a roll projecting from the latter into the path of the first-named arm, an elbow rigid with the last-named arm, and a cushion-buffer stop for said elbow.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing inventi on I have hereunto set my hand this 3d day of June, 1905.

OSCAR M. CARLETON.

Witnesses:

ALBERT RoBAnT, A. B. UPHAM. 

